Isaiah 39
ืืฉืขืืื ืคืจืง ืืดื
Section: ื ืืืืื ยท ื ืืืืื ืืืจืื ืื | Book: Isaiah | Chapter: 39 of 66 | Day: 186 of 742
Date: August 16, 2026
ืงืืืื ืขื ืื ืดื
Chapter 39 is the hinge on which the entire book of Isaiah turns. It closes the historical appendix (chapters 36-39) that follows the Assyrian-era prophecies, and it does so by pivoting the readerโs gaze away from Assyria and toward Babylon. Where chapters 1-39 have been preoccupied with the northern threat of Assyria and the deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib, chapter 39 plants the seed of a new and far more devastating exile. The very next words in the book will be the great consolation of chapter 40, nachamu nachamu ami (ื ืืื ื ืืื ืขืื), Comfort, comfort My people, addressed to a nation already imagined as living under Babylonian domination. The placement is deliberate: the sin and its sentence in chapter 39 create the need for the comfort that follows. This chapter is nearly identical in wording to the parallel account in II Kings 20:12-19, and both Radak and Rashi treat the two passages as a single narrative; Radak notes on the opening verse that he has already explained this whole section fully in the book of Kings (ืื ืื ืืคืจืฉื ืคืืจืฉืชืื ืืกืคืจ ืืืืื ืืืจ ืืืื).
The narrative opens at that time (ืึธึผืขึตืช ืึทืึดืื), tying it to Hezekiahโs illness and miraculous recovery in chapter 38. Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sends letters and a gift, having heard that Hezekiah had been ill and had recovered. Rashi, drawing on the midrash in Tanchuma and the Pesikta, connects the embassy to the cosmic sign that accompanied Hezekiahโs cure, the reversal of the sunโs shadow, which so astonished the Babylonian astrologers that they sent to inquire of the God who could turn back the heavens. Metzudat David observes that Chronicles records the envoys came specifically to inquire about the wonder (ืืืืคืช) performed during his illness. What begins as a gesture of honor to the God of Israel becomes, through Hezekiahโs response, the occasion of his downfall.
The turning point is Hezekiahโs pride. Pleased by the visit (ืึทืึดึผืฉึฐืืึทื ืขึฒืึตืืึถื ืึดืึฐืงึดืึธึผืืึผ), he shows the envoys his treasure house (ืึตึผืืช ื ึฐืึนืชึนื), the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine oil, his entire armory, and everything in his storehouses, holding nothing back. Rashi identifies the fine oil either as the sacred anointing oil or as balsam (afarsemon), and adds pointedly that among the things Hezekiah displayed was even the Torah scroll. When Isaiah arrives and asks what the men said and where they came from, Hezekiah answers with what Rashi reads as a boast, from a far country, from Babylon (ืึตืึถืจึถืฅ ืจึฐืืึนืงึธื ืึธึผืืึผ ืึตืึทื ืึดืึธึผืึถื). Rashi lists Hezekiah among the three whom God tested with a searching question and who answered wrongly, alongside Cain and Balaam; the righteous king ought to have said, you are a prophet of God, why ask me, but instead he grew haughty. The sin here is not merely political imprudence but a failure of humility that treats Godโs miraculous kindness as personal glory.
The sentence follows measure for measure. Isaiah delivers the oracle: days are coming when everything in the palace, and all that the ancestors have stored up, shall be carried to Babylon, and nothing shall be left (ืึนื ืึดืึธึผืชึตืจ ืึธึผืึธืจ). Rashi highlights the exact correspondence, nothing shall remain against Hezekiahโs own words there was nothing that he did not show them, a punishment cut to the shape of the crime. Worse, some of his own sons shall be taken to be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon; Rashi and Metzudat David identify these descendants with Daniel, Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, the exiles of the book of Daniel. The prophecy thus reaches forward across a century and a half to the Babylonian captivity and to the young men who would sanctify Godโs name in the Babylonian court.
The chapter ends on a note that has troubled commentators: Hezekiah replies, the word of the LORD you have spoken is good (ืืึนื ืึฐึผืึทืจ ืโ ืึฒืฉึถืืจ ืึดึผืึทึผืจึฐืชึธึผ), reasoning that at least there will be peace and truth in my days (ืฉึธืืืึนื ืึถืึฑืึถืช ืึฐึผืึธืึธื). Rashi and Metzudat David explain his acceptance as gratitude that the catastrophe is deferred; Metzudat David has Hezekiah say that once God guarantees peace in his own lifetime he does not worry over what will come after his death. Read charitably this is submission to divine justice; read critically it is a narrowing of concern to oneโs own generation. Either way, the closing words set the stage for what follows, for the exile foreseen here is precisely the condition into which the voice of chapter 40 will speak its comfort, transforming the book from a record of judgment into a promise of return.
ืคืจืง ืืดื ยท Chapter 39
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 1
Hebrew:
ืึผึธืขึตึฃืช ืึทืึดึกืื ืฉืึธืึทึกื ืึฐืจึนืึทึฃืึฐ ืึผึทึ ืึฐืึฒืึธึ ื ืึผึถึฝืึพืึผึทืึฐืึฒืึธึงื ืึถืึถืึฐึพืึผึธืึถึื ืกึฐืคึธืจึดึฅืื ืึผืึดื ึฐืึธึื ืึถืึพืึดืึฐืงึดืึผึธึืืึผ ืึทืึผึดืฉืึฐืึทึืข ืึผึดึฅื ืึธืึธึื ืึทึฝืึผึถืึฑืึธึฝืงื
English:
At that time, Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, the king of Babylon, sent [envoys with] a letter and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard about his illness and recovery.
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 2
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึดืฉืึฐืึทึฃื ืขึฒืึตืืึถืึฎ ืึดืึฐืงึดืึผึธึืืึผึ ืึทืึผึทืจึฐืึตึฃื ืึถืชึพืึผึตึฃืืช ื ึฐืึนืชึนึกื ืึถืชึพืึทืึผึถืกึถืฃึฉ ืึฐืึถืชึพืึทืึผึธืึธึจื ืึฐืึถืชึพืึทืึผึฐืฉืึธืึดึืื ืึฐืึตึฃืชโื ืึทืฉืึผึถึฃืึถื ืึทืึผึืึนื ืึฐืึตืชึ ืึผืืึพืึผึตึฃืืช ืึผึตืึธึืื ืึฐืึตึืช ืึผืืึพืึฒืฉืึถึฅืจ ื ึดืึฐืฆึธึื ืึผึฐืึนืฆึฐืจึนืชึธึืื ืึนืึพืึธืึธึฃื ืึธืึธึืจ ืึฒึ ืฉืึถึ ืจ ืึนึฝืึพืึถืจึฐืึธึงื ืึดืึฐืงึดืึผึธึืืึผ ืึผึฐืึตืืชึืึน ืึผืึฐืืืึพืึถืึฐืฉืึทืึฐืชึผึฝืึนืย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
English:
Hezekiah was pleased by their coming, and he showed them his treasure houseโthe silver, the gold, the spices, and the fragrant oilโand all his armory, and everything that was to be found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 3
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึธืึนืึ ืึฐืฉืึทึฝืขึฐืึธึฃืืึผ ืึทื ึผึธืึดึืื ืึถืึพืึทืึผึถึืึถืึฐ ืึดืึฐืงึดืึผึธึืืึผ ืึทืึผึนึจืืึถืจ ืึตืึธึืื ืึธึฅื ืึธืึฐืจึฃืึผโื ืึธืึฒื ึธืฉืึดึฃืื ืึธืึตึืึผึถื ืึผืึตืึทึืึดืึ ืึธืึนึฃืืึผ ืึตืึถึืืึธ ืึทืึผึนึืืึถืจึ ืึดืึฐืงึดืึผึธึืืึผ ืึตืึถึงืจึถืฅ ืจึฐืืึนืงึธึื ืึผึธึฅืืึผ ืึตืึทึื ืึดืึผึธืึถึฝืื
English:
Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah. โWhat,โ he demanded of him, โdid those men say to you? Where have they come to you from?โ โThey have come to me,โ replied Hezekiah, โfrom a far country, from Babylon.โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 4
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึนึืืึถืจ ืึธึฅื ืจึธืึืึผ ืึผึฐืึตืืชึถึืึธ ืึทืึผึนึฃืืึถืจ ืึดืึฐืงึดืึผึธึืืึผ ืึตึฃืช ืึผืืึพืึฒืฉืึถึคืจ ืึผึฐืึตืืชึดืึ ืจึธืึืึผ ืึนืึพืึธืึธึฅื ืึธืึธึืจ ืึฒืฉืึถึฅืจ ืึนึฝืึพืึดืจึฐืึดืืชึดึืื ืึผึฐืืึนืฆึฐืจึนืชึธึฝืื
English:
Next he asked, โWhat have they seen in your palace?โ And Hezekiah replied, โThey have seen everything there is in my palace. There was nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.โ
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 5
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึนึฅืืึถืจ ืึฐืฉืึทึฝืขึฐืึธึืืึผ ืึถืึพืึดืึฐืงึดืึผึธึืืึผ ืฉืึฐืึทึืข ืึผึฐืึทืจึพืึฐืึนืึธึฅื ืฆึฐืึธืึฝืึนืชื
English:
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, โHear the word of GOD of Hosts:
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 6
Hebrew:
ืึดื ึผึตืึฎ ืึธืึดึฃืื ืึผึธืึดืืึ ืึฐื ึดืฉืึผึธึฃืโื ืึผืืึพืึฒืฉืึถึฃืจ ืึผึฐืึตืืชึถึืึธ ืึทืึฒืฉืึถึจืจ ืึธืฆึฐืจึงืึผ ืึฒืึนืชึถึืืึธ ืขึทืึพืึทืึผึฅืึนื ืึทืึผึถึื ืึผึธืึถึื ืึนึฝืึพืึดืึผึธืชึตึฅืจ ืึผึธืึธึืจ ืึธืึทึฅืจ ืึฐืึนืึธึฝืื
English:
A time is coming when everything in your palace, which your ancestors have stored up to this day, will be carried off to Babylon; nothing will be left behind, said GOD.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 7
Hebrew:
ืึผืึดืึผึธื ึถึืืึธ ืึฒืฉืึถึจืจ ืึตืฆึฐืึงืึผ ืึดืึผึฐืึธึ ืึฒืฉืึถึฅืจ ืชึผืึนืึดึืื ืึดืงึผึธึืืึผ ืึฐืึธืืึผึ ืกึธืจึดืืกึดึืื ืึผึฐืึตืืึทึื ืึถึฅืึถืึฐ ืึผึธืึถึฝืื
English:
And some of your sons, your own issue, whom you will have fathered, will be taken to serve as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 8
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึนึคืืึถืจ ืึดืึฐืงึดืึผึธึืืึผึ ืึถึฝืึพืึฐืฉืึทืขึฐืึธึืืึผ ืึฅืึนื ืึผึฐืึทืจึพืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึฒืฉืึถึฃืจ ืึผึดืึผึทึืจึฐืชึผึธ ืึทืึผึนึืืึถืจ ืึผึดึฅื ืึดืึฐืึถึื ืฉืึธืึฅืึนื ืึถืึฑืึถึืช ืึผึฐืึธืึธึฝืืย {ืค}
English:
Hezekiah declared to Isaiah, โThe word of GOD that you have spoken is good.โ For he thought, โIt means that safety is assured forasafety is assured for Lit. โthere shall be safety and faithfulness in.โ my time.โ
โถCommentaries (1)